{"id":246,"date":"2008-09-16T09:02:15","date_gmt":"2008-09-16T14:02:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/openwidelookinside\/archives\/246"},"modified":"2008-09-16T09:02:15","modified_gmt":"2008-09-16T14:02:15","slug":"teaching-life-science-with-childrens-literature-pumpkin-circle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/openwidelookinside\/2008\/09\/16\/teaching-life-science-with-childrens-literature-pumpkin-circle\/","title":{"rendered":"Teaching Life Science with Children’s Literature: Pumpkin Circle"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The beauty about having four seasons is the distinct characteristics that come along with each. \u00a0 The changing of each season is especially exciting for children, for they anticipate their favorite activities that may come only once a year. As\u00a0a child, I was often very anxious for the start of fall. \u00a0Not only did I get to start back at school, but I also loved to watch the leaves change colors and celebrate\u00a0Halloween.\u00a0 There was one thing that always embodied the heart of fall for me–pumpkins. \u00a0Pumpkin Circle<\/a>\u00a0by George Levenson celebrates the growth of pumpkins\u00a0with the story of their life cycle.<\/p>\n

Using bold photographs taken by Shmuel Thaler, Pumpkin Circle<\/em> explores the growth of a pumpkin. \u00a0Levenson explains the process starting at the beginning, with a seed, and completes the cycle, where it first began, with pumpkin seeds.<\/p>\n

How did this begin? What is this pumpkin thing? \u00a0Is there Mother Nature? \u00a0Is there a Pumpkin King? \u00a0We can be sure of this: It’s a circle without end. \u00a0It’s pumpkin seeds to pumpkins to pumpkin seeds again!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Levenson explains that pumpkin seeds come in all different shapes and sizes, yet once they are planted in soil, they can grow to become pumpkins! \u00a0First the seeds sprout into two small leaves, with roots deep down in the earth. \u00a0Then with the help of the sun and water, the plant sprouts grow into large leaves that create the perfect place\u00a0for a pumpkin flower to grow.\u00a0\u00a0Levenson\u00a0then introduces\u00a0animals into this life cycle,\u00a0as bees buzz near the gold, velvet flowers, and grasshoppers make adventures throughout the garden. \u00a0As summer turns to fall, it is time for the pumpkins to be picked, so they can be enjoyed! \u00a0Levenson encourages the reader to due this by creating their own personal jack-o’-lantern. \u00a0However, the cycle does not end here. \u00a0The pumpkin then shrinks into the earth, dispersing its seeds into the ground once again!<\/p>\n

Pumpkin Circle<\/em> is told with rhyming text and great close-up photographs. \u00a0Along with the descriptions of the life cycle, Levenson uniquely places the text in designs that outline the shape of the photograph, emphasizing the characteristics of a pumpkin at that stage. \u00a0For example, as he writes about the twisty tendrils of the pumpkin plant, he places one line of text in an upward arch and the next in a downward arch, replicating the shape of the tendrils. \u00a0This technique enhances the text and provides further visuals for the reader. \u00a0Together the rhyming, photographs, and placement of text make Pumpkin Circle<\/em> a book that will surely keep children’s interest.<\/p>\n

On the last page of the book, Pumpkin Circle<\/em> includes advice on how to grow pumpkins.\u00a0\u00a0Levenson includes tips on the varieties, reproduction, protection, special effects, and harvesting of pumpkins. \u00a0This serves as a great follow up activity for children! \u00a0I’m sure they will eagerly want to grow a pumpkin after reading this story!<\/p>\n

Curriculum Connections<\/strong>
\nPumpkin Circle’s<\/em> theme, the life cycle of a pumpkin, is a great way to teach children about the life processes of living things as they grow and change. \u00a0It emphasizes the need for water, sunlight, and care. \u00a0Students can also gain knowledge about the different parts of a plant, such as the seeds, roots, stems, leaves, and flowers (VA SOL K.6 and 1.4). \u00a0However, this book can also be linked to a physical science standards and investigation themes. \u00a0As students learn about the different stages of a pumpkin, they can use their observational skills to compare the physical properties of a pumpkin as it grows from a seed, to a leaf, and to a pumpkin. \u00a0Pumpkin Circle<\/em>\u00a0serves as a great extension into a history lesson as well, emphasizing the importance of pumpkins to the lives of early settlers and Native Americans.<\/p>\n

Additional Resources<\/strong><\/p>\n